Driving apparatus.



L. E. MITCHELL. DRIVING APPARATUS. APPLIOATIOIi FILED JUNE 26, 1909.

rut NORRIS PETERS :1, WASHINGTON, n1 :1

LOUIS E. MITCHELL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,'ASSIG1\TOR TO MORGAN-GARDNER ELECTRIC COMPANY, QFWCHIGAGO, ILLINOIS.

DRIVING APPARATUS.

981,101. Patented Jan.

Serial N 0. 504,412.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 26, 1909.

member 17 of the form particularly shown To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LoUIs E. MITCHELL, 1n Figs. 1 and 5 1s adapted to be inserted, a citizen of the United States, residing at at times, in one of these openings 16 in order 1cag0, ln the county of Cook and State that its lower end 18 may engage with an of llll'lOlS have invented certain new and upwardly extending PFOJGCtlOIl or lug 19 6O useful Improvements in Drivin Appai atus, on the sprocket 20 whicl drives the cutterof which the following is a specification chain (not shown). This sprocket is keyed iis invention relates more particularly to the shaft 12 so that when the em ocket is to apparatus used in connection with ninturned, the Shaft Wlll be driven thei ewith ing machines of the chain-cutting type, and The 00k or driving member 1'! consi ts of its objects are to improve ertain f atur a top plate which is adapted to lest 011 the thereof relating particularly to the arrange- Web of tie gear 10 with a short neck which ment for driving the cutting chain and feedconnects it With the slightly enlarged 10 e1 operating devices from the motor. In minend 18. is lower end is flattened on one ing machines of this type, it frequently oc- Sl e a indicated at 21 to engage with one cms that it is desiiable to drive the motor side or face of the lug 19, and is also flato the machine without driving the cuttin tened on the opposite side as indicated at 22 chain or the chain-feeding devices. This i to engage with the opposite face or side of particularly the case when the machine is this ug It will be noted that the lowei used in connection with. a self-propelling end projects slightly in each direction, with truck, such as is commonly used with such respect to these driving faces, beyond the machines. neck portion, this being for the particular lV y invention relates, therefore, particupurpose that when the lock has been inserted larly to the driving connection between the in the opening 16, the motor may be reversed motor and the sprocket for driving the out to drive the sprocket in either direction, and ter-chain and also to the connection with when in criving position the lower portion the feeding device used for feeding the chain of the lock will hook under the lower side of into the coal or other material to be cut. the web of the gear so that the lock will not I have illustrated my invention in the acbe thrown out of position, as might othercompanying drawings, in which wise occur, At the upper end of the shaft 8-5 Figure l is a view showing the motor of a is a worm 23 which is keyed or feathered miningmachine, together with the connected to the shaft so that it will be driven thereparts particularly embraced in the present with but may move longitudinally under exinvention; Fig. 2 is a detail of one of the cessive strain, this worm being held in posidriving gears, Fi 3 is a top plan View of tion by a breakable washer 24 and collar or sleeve 25, the latter being secured by a nut 26 on the end of the shaft 12. This worm engages with a worm gear 27 mounted on an 111g sprocket. adjacent shaft 28, this shaft in turn driving As shown in these drawings, 6 represents the feeding devices which, however, form no a motor suitably mounted on a frame 7, or part of the present invention and therefore secured to other parts of a mining machine, are not shown. and having the driving shaft 8 provided In operation,

1 5 are details of the lock used for locking the driving gear with the drivit will be readily seen that with a pinion 9 ad acent to the lower end when the lock 17 is removed from the gear thereof The pinion 9 meshes with a gear 10, the motor may be driven and will only 10 loosely mounted on a stub or counterturn the gear, without turning the shaft 12 shaft 12 which has its lower end secured in or the parts connected therewith. This a bearing 13 in the frame might occur, for instance, when the motor is being used in connection with a self-driving truck for transporting the machine from one part of the mine to another. Then, when it is desired to operate the cutting chain and feeding device, the lock 17 will be inserted in one of the openings 16, and on account of the peculiar form of the opening and the a radius of the gear. A lock or driving V rangement whereby peculiar form of the lower portion 18 of the ock, this look can only be inserted in one position, so that there will be no liability of the operator inserting it wrongly. When this look has been inserted, the lower end thereof will engage with the upwardly extending projection or lug 19 and will drive the sprocket 20 which in turn will drive the shaft with the feeding worm at the upper end thereof. It will be noted that this arthe shaft is turned gives a long substantial bearing on the gear 10 and also permits substantial and rigid bearings for the shaft itself in the main frame portions of the machine. Furthermore, by means of this particular driving arrangement, the gears for driving the feed ing device will never be operated unless the chain-driving sprocket is also operated, so that a careless operator cannot leave the feeding mechanism in operation unless the chain is being. driven, in which case the machine should be in position for operation.

Having thus described my invention, which I do not wish to limit to the exact arrangement or details of construction herein shown and described, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a driving apparatus for mining machines, the combination of a gear adapted to be driven from the motor of the machine, a shaft on which said gear is loosely mounted, a sprocket secured to said shaft and adapted to drive the same, and means whereby said sprocket may be driven by said gear or may be freed therefrom.

2. In a driving apparatus for mining machines, the combination of a counter-shaft, a gear loosely mounted on said countershaft, said gear being driven from the motor of the machine and having holes in the web the shaft for thereof, a sprocket having a lug, secured to said counter-shaft, and a lock adapted to be inserted in one of the openings in the web of said gear for engagement with said lug to drive the sprocket.

3. In a mining machine, the combination of a motor, a pinion driven by said motor, a gear engaging with said pinion, said gear having a segmental opening in the web thereof, a lock having its lower end corresponding with the opening through said web so that it can only be inserted through said opening when in one position, said lower end being provided with driving faces, a shaft on which said gear is mounted, a sprocket wheel secured to said shaft adjacent to said gear, and having a lug or projection thereon with faces adapted to engage with the faces on the lower end of said lock, and power transmitting mechanism driven by said shaft.

t. A lock for driving a sprocket from a gear, comprising an upper supporting portion adapted to rest on the web of the gear and having a short neck corresponding in shape to the opening in said web through which it is to be inserted and having a lower driving end also corresponding in shape with said opening but projecting laterally beyond the sides of said neck, the form being such that when the lock is shifted in either direction on the web after the lower end has been inserted through said opening, the projection on one side of said driving end will come under the adjacent edge of the web of the driving gear.

LOUIS E. MITCHELL.

IVitnesses 2 R. lsnamx, F. C. Ln'rz. 

